Friday, November 24, 2006

Rock Club Mayor

Remember how I want to be a mayor one day? Well, my dream has come true. I am the latest mayor of Rock Club! For those of you who don't know, Rock Club is like a book club, except instead of reading one book and talking about it, each participant brings a song to share and discuss. The mayor is a rotating position and isn't decided by an election or even bribery, so don't get too excited for me. I drew an ace from a deck of cards, what can I say?

This is where you come in, friends. The mayor gets to decide if there is a theme, and I can't decide. I have a few ideas floating around in my head, such as songs from soundtracks or cover songs, but I need suggestions. Another idea that a Rock Club member suggested was asking your parents to pick your song - I'm sure my Dad is already scheming.

I was anointed mayor at the last Rock Club gathering on Tuesday, so I've got some time to decide. The event was a cereal social - everyone brought a box of cereal so we could snack while we listened to the tunes (Shannon, at one point I had a cereal combination featuring Panda Peanut Butter Puffs, Count Chocula and bananas!). The theme was Shlong (Short songs and long songs), which gave me the opportunity to bring one of my favorite Jonathan Richman songs: New Teller. It clocked in at 1:39.

I've been on a real Jonathan Richman kick lately, and that is how I found the flip book animation featured below. I was searching for footage of Jonathan Richman dancing (I'm brain dead after writing many essays and I needed a break...). Sadly, he doesn't dance in this clip, but his guitar provides the accompaniment. I love flip books, and I love this artist's simple sketching style - maybe because it makes me think that I could make my own flip book one day. My favorite part is when the water bottle fills the great lakes. I also love that after viewing this sketch, I discovered that there's a whole world of flip book animation that I never knew about before. Oh, Internet.

6 comments:

brie said...

What a fun idea! I have grand illusions of starting a film club, but it hasn't come to fruition. And, seeing as I'm going back to school, it probably won't any time soon.

Sean once participated in this on-line film forum and the moderators had everyone send in songs in response to themes that they posted. Then they would compile the songs and everyone in the forum would get a copy of the compilation. Very cool!

My favourite theme was for a holiday compilation. They had to send songs in that had jingle bells BUT they could not be Christmas carols. I'm pretty sure that Sean sent in "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges. It's got awesome jingle bells!

Congratulations on your new position as Mayor, Erin! Serve your people well.

Erin Riley said...

I listened to an episode of Go on CBC Radio (Saturdays at 10 am) that compiled songs that featured the cow bell. It was great. But there's a problem with instrument-related themes. I'm not a music genius, like you, Brie, or Sean or many of the Rock Club members, so I would have to resort to Google to find an appropriate song. I'd rather a theme that allows me to bring a song that I have a personal connection to - I am the mayor after all...

Maybe I should think of a song I want to bring and then plan a theme around it...

robyn. said...

i was going to suggest picking your song first and fitting the theme around it! you beat me to the punch.

soundtracks is good as well, i'd choose a song from amelie as that's my favourite soundtrack ever, although run lola run is a close second.

what about songs that got you through your teenage years?

or songs that remind you of someone/place/time/relationship.

oh the possiblities are endless!

good luck.

robyn. said...

so many ideas!

you could pick a song with a certain word in the title, or it has to have an emotion in the title/chorus.

or you could do the alphabet, if there's 10 people in the group, assign them each a letter a to j.

or you could have a magic number, the number has to be in the title/chorus.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Erin! I'm excited for you.

Songs about serial killers... songs with colours in the title... food-related songs - and you have to bring whatever food it is (a song by Peaches, bring some peach tarts)... songs about aliens... songs by artists who have killed themselves...

More importantly, have you chosen a deputy mayor? Pick me! Pick me!

Anonymous said...

All these themes are creative! Yay! I like Imtiaz's last one: bring a deputy. I like policy-related themes.

Right now I think that you should call an emergency rock club today, with Snow Songs for the theme.